


Broken Pieces

by romxnogersav



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Mentions of Anxiety, POV Second Person, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:43:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25491829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romxnogersav/pseuds/romxnogersav
Summary: Steve comfort you after yet another heartbreak and you realize you've loved him all along.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 50





	Broken Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually one of my favorite pieces I've written so far. Maybe because it has a pinch of reality behind it. Either way, I really love it!
> 
> This was written for @jbbuckybarnes ‘ Writing Challenge on Tumblr, and is also written for a request I got!
> 
> Request by anon: Hey!! Could I have a one shot where the reader just got rejected by her crush and it breaks her heart and Steve comforts her (yknow the leaning against the door with the gentle “hey” thing he does? That’d be cool) and when he’s giving her one of his classic best hugs and she’s crying on his shoulder she realizes the one she loved all along was Steve?
> 
> Challenge prompt: Roommate Au + “Who did this to you?”
> 
> I hope you like this! Enjoy!💫

You stopped the engine, swiped at your eyes, and brushed the wetness from your cheeks. You took a deep breath, hoping to keep the tears at bay long enough to make it to your room before you finally let it all out.

You had left with a beaming smile, confidence like no other. You had the intention of finally telling him, the man you have been crushing on for some time, how you felt.

You had dressed well, with what makeup you wore on point, and left the apartment. You were finally ready to say what had weighted heavily on both your mind and heart for the past couple of months. How much you liked him, how you were hoping he might feel something as well.

It was too unfortunate though, that he didn't feel the same. He had no problem with breaking your heart though as if your feelings didn't matter one bit.

He said he wasn't looking for anything serious. He wasn't looking for a relationship, to settle down with a girl. Neither were you. But you wanted to start somewhere, try and build something with someone. Was it that bad to want that?

It seemed like it was. He told you, he didn’t want to be held back. Falling into bed with a woman the moment the opportunity presented itself was enough for him. In his words, you had been the perfect one, just a tad desperate, a little bit too naïve.

Maybe you were if you had been foolish enough to fall for such a person. The reality was finally catching up to you. It was too bad that you hadn't seen it earlier.

But he had been nice at first. Wanting to know about you, what you did, where you came from, what you liked. You had thought he was genuine, that he might have wanted for things to work out. Turns out, he only wanted you in his bed. Anything you might have wanted to be wasn't in the cards for him.

Hoping you could get something more out of life, might have been what clouded your judgment. 

Whatever it was, it didn’t stop the pain.

You took a deep breath and walked out of your car. You looked up towards your apartment, the lights in the living room were off, which meant Steve, your roommate, and best friend had yet to come home. Good, you didn’t need him to see you like this.

You locked the car and made your way towards the building's entrance. Your heels clicked with every step you took, the concrete underneath illuminated by the shadows the sunset cast.

Soon enough, you were unlocking the door to your apartment, and stepping in. You didn't even flicker the light in the entryway on. You placed your keys in the small table next to the door, toed off your shoes, hang your coat, and made your way to your room.

When you closed the door softly behind you, you all but collapsed on the bed and curled yourself in a fetal position, one of your hands hugging your middle.

You felt the tears prick at your eyes, and you tried to swallow past the lump in your throat, tried to keep it together for a few more moments. It was to no avail. Your eyes filled with tears, clouding your sight. The hand that wrapped around your middle shook, and you closed it into a fist to try and prevent that.

A loud sob escaped you, and then one more, and one more. Soon, your whole body shook, the sounds coming from you filling the room, and spreading the sound around the whole apartment.

What had you done to deserve such a fate? Why did it ever end up like this for you? It was like you weren’t enough, as if there was something wrong with you.

You weren’t perfect, because perfect hardly ever existed. You weren’t perfect on the outside, you had your imperfections. Things, big and small that you didn’t like about yourself. A scar here, a mole there. You even hated your hair sometimes.

You weren’t perfect on the inside either. There were things you didn’t like about yourself and your demeanor. You didn’t always say the right thing, you didn’t always do the right thing, either. You had a hard time expressing yourself sometimes. Your self-esteem wasn’t high, you weren’t as outspoken as many others were.

You weren’t perfect in many forms. And you thought that was okay, but maybe it wasn’t. Maybe not being perfect wasn’t enough.

All you wanted was to be happy. As a complex of a person as you were, you deserved that at the very least. You wanted to have something to ground you when the hard times hit because you had those days sometimes.

Weren’t you worthy of happiness? Of being someone’s constant, someone’s ray of sunshine, the way you wanted that someone to be yours?

It wasn't like you had many relationships, one or two maybe. Every time though, it looked like you just weren't it. You couldn't remember the last time a guy told you, you were beautiful, and meant it. A guy, other than Steve and your other male friends like Bucky or Tony. You couldn't remember the last time a man was with you, because they wanted to be, not because of some hidden agendas. You couldn’t remember the last time someone appreciated you, told you they loved you.

It was like you were never it. Like there was something about that was never enough to keep, enough to like or even love. And what if it was true? Maybe you weren’t one to be loved.

You were still crying, sob after sob escaping past your lips when you heard the front door open. The sound of Steve’s keys jingling stopped you, silencing your cries. You clasped a hand over your mouth, trying to keep it together, calm yourself down.

You sniffled a little and wiped at your eyes.

“Y/N, are you here? I'm home!" He raised his voice, hoping you were able to hear him. He was surprised to know you were home this early, it was just past nine-thirty in the evening. He knew you went on a date less than two hours ago, so why you were home at this hour, was a mystery to him.

You heard his feet pat against the wooden floor in the hallway, the sound getting louder the closer he got to your room. You jumped out of your bed, wiping at your eyes and cheeks even more. You moved towards the closet, and pulled a pair of jeans, making it look like you were doing something.

There was a soft knock, and then then the door was being pushed open to reveal your roommate, and longtime friend, Steve.

“I thought you had a date tonight. You look lovely, by the way,” He complimented you, leaning against the doorframe, and you had to swallow down a sob that wanted to leave you. Of course, he would say that he always did. No one else ever said that to you, not even the guy that broke your heart. It made you wonder if he only did say it for your sake.

You forced your cries down and shook your head a little. You cleared your throat, trying to mask that you had been crying just now.

“I had, and thank you,” you answered softly, praying, that he couldn’t pick on the difference in your voice. You put the jeans back in place and pulled a not so neatly folded blouse, so you could keep your hands occupied.

“And how did it go?” He was able to sense that something wasn’t okay, that there was something that was bothering you. How could he not really? You've been friends since high school, lived together since college. He could read you like the back of his hand.

You did your best to sound natural.

"Good, it was g-good," Your voice quivered, and you clasped a hand over your mouth to stop the sob that threatened to escape.

He tilted his head to the side, studying you. He saw you fisting the blouse in your hand, your shoulders shaking. His arms, that had been crossed over his chest until now, fell to his sides and he spoke softly.

“Hey,” he pushed himself off of the doorframe, “What’s going on?” he questioned gently and slowly walked towards you.

“Nothing,” you chocked out instantly. He laid his hand on your shoulder, prompting you to turn around. You shook your head, holding onto the piece of clothing for dear life. He reached for the dark material and cautiously pried it off of your hands.

Your head was down, staring at the movement of your hands leaving the soft cloth. Even with your sight blurry because of the fresh wave of tears that wanted to be set free, you were able to see Steve’s big hand grabbing onto your smaller one. He pulled you a bit so you were facing him, even though you still kept your head down.

“Hey, look at me, babe,” He murmured, and one of his hands moved up and under your chin. He lifted your face and looked into your eyes, searching. **“Who did this to you** **?** **”** he questioned in a light tone, keeping his voice level. On the inside though, he was boiling. The hand that wasn't holding your chin closed into a fist.

He secretly knew that it happened again. You, this bright, constantly selfless person, had gotten her heartbroken, and it was once again, he, as someone that loved you, going to help you and show you how much more you deserved.

You shook your head again, trying to avert your gaze so you wouldn’t have to see his eyes. See the pity you knew was there. Every time, he was left to put back the broken pieces, just because you weren’t strong enough. He must be sick of you by now.

"No-no one," he looked down for a moment and exhaled before his gaze flickered back to you.

“Talk to me," he pleaded with you, one hand moving behind your head and the other settling on your back.

Was there a point in lying? He already knew what happened, the tears staining your cheeks showed as much.

“I did Stevie, it was me. I’m just not enough, I’m never enough,” You sobbed, and he pulled you into him. Your arms wrapped around his middle, your face hiding in his collarbone. He ran his hand along your back, the other cradling your head, and moving through your hair.

He was warm, making you feel secure, even though you felt like you didn’t deserve it.

“That’s not true, doll.” He whispered, his voice barely audible with your cries. You were sobbing in his arms, your tears wetting the shirt he wore, he hardly even cared though. All he cared about was calming you down, making you see that you were more than enough, loved.

You shook your head against his skin, not even believing him. You were too far gone into your head. Your self-esteem was lowering itself, your anxiety was taking over. It was happening time and time again, bringing you down more than it had the last time. Your mind had its' own thoughts on the matter, ones that did nothing other than to pick at your wounds even more.

“But it is,” you mumbled, tightening your arms around his middle, “I’m not good enough. No one ever wants me, Steve. They play their game for a while, and then I get thrown away, broken. Am I that unsatisfying to be with?” you shook against him, your whole body giving up on you. He pulled you towards the bed, where he sat at the edge and pulled you into his lap, cradling you against him. He shushed you before he pulled away and looked into your eyes. His gaze leveled with yours, blue eyes meeting your shining ones. Eyes full of concern, full of love and appreciation.

“Listen to me, hey,” he swept his thumb against one of your cheeks and then the other, wiping the tears that had stained them. “You are beautiful, top to bottom, both inside and out. You are intelligent, and the absolute best at what you do. You are sharp-minded, funny, and witty. You don’t take bullshit to heart. You are a compassionate, kindhearted person. You are the best friend anyone could ask for. You love, respect, and appreciate, like no other woman I've ever seen. Most importantly, you are unique, because you are you. And you are special,” he brushed some hair that had fallen around your face, and then wiped your tears away, tears that couldn’t seem to stop.

"It's a shame, that there are people in this world that can't see that. At the end of the day though, it's their loss. They allowed something magnificent like you to walk away. You are enough Y/N, more than enough even. Any man will be lucky to be with you, it just takes a special kind of person to see that. So, don't think about yourself in that light again, because what you said about yourself, that's not true. It's never going to be true," He finished off with a gentle, light smile on his face, still wiping at your tears, even though more and more were coming.

He always did that. He was always there for you, no matter what. He was there, after a rough day, with a bad joke and your favorite food, ready to cheer you up.

He was there, after every heartbreak you had. He would pull you against him, give you one of his bear hugs. He’d shush your sobs, run his hands over your back. He’d wipe at your tears and give you a little smile. He’d remind you how remarkable you were, how those assholes were missing out. He was there every time, to pick and put your broken pieces back together. He would run from the other side of the world if he had to, just so he could make sure that you were okay, be there for you.

That was the kind of man Steve was. Selfless, appreciative, supportive. You could go on and on about what a guy he was. One in a million. He was a special one.

He had done so much for you over the years. Combine all the times he stood by your side when you weren’t at your brightest, with all the times he was there for you at your happiest. Steve was a great friend, the greatest in history.

You loved how every time you looked into his eyes, all you saw was fondness, affection. Never has Steve looked at you with anything else but warmth and love.

Any woman would be lucky to be with him, too bad that woman wouldn’t be you.

Your breath hitched. _What_ _?_ No, you did not just say that. What the hell was that even? You and Steve were friends. You were his closest friend after Bucky, you could not possibly think like that.

Sure, yes, he was handsome, but he was so much more to you. You weren’t sure you’d ever be able to fully explain how much he meant to you, how much you loved him. You loved his personality, how caring and passionate he was. You loved how sassy he got, oh boy, sassy Steve was something else. You loved his humor, his creativity. You adored how driven he was, how he never gave up. He never gave up on the things he believed in, the people he loved. He never gave up on you, and you would never give up on him.

Looking back at everything he had done for you the last few years, you could only come to one conclusion, you loved him. You loved Steve, your best friend, the one person you could rely on, no matter the circumstance.

It was too bad though, you would probably never tell him. Too bad, he’d probably never feel the same. He might just end up being like all the others, breaking your heart, if you ever opened your mouth. And then, there won’t be anyone to help put the pieces back together.

The thought, the possibility, made you shake, even more, your breath shuddering and your eyes watering even more. Your hands tightened around Steve, even more, palms digging into his back. You sobbed again, feeling his hand smoothing over your back.

“Shh, it’s okay, doll. It’s okay,” he shushed you once more, voice a soft murmur next to your ear. You clutched to him for dear life, before your next words left your mouth.

“I love you,” you sobbed. There was no point in lying, not to yourself, not to him. Your heart was already broken, you didn’t know if it could take any more. But there was no point in suffering anymore.

Steve’s movements didn’t cease, nothing about his demeanor changed.

“I love you too, you know I do,” he ran his hand through your hair, massaging your scalp in the process.

You shook your head against his collarbone, a hiccup leaving you. “No,” you mumbled, sniffling. “I know you do Stevie, but I-“ you stopped yourself and took a deep breath, swallowing past the dryness in your throat.

“You what?” his brows furrowed

“I’m in love with you,” you whispered, everting your gaze to the side. It was as if time wasn’t moving. Your heart was thrumming in your chest, tears, from what, you didn’t know, running down your face. Heartbreak? Pain? Uncertainty? Fear? You had no idea.

Your form trembled in anticipation, waiting to hear what Steve had to say. He adjusted his hold on you, and his face fell in the crook of your neck. You sat like that for a few moments, before you heard his soft voice again.

“Good, ‘cause now you can finally stop getting your heartbroken," you pulled away and searched his face. His eyes gleamed in the low light, and the corners of his lips were pulling upward. He must be kidding, or you hadn't heard him right. He was probably able to see the confusion in your eyes because he opened his mouth and spoke again.

"You've gotten your heart broken far too many times now, baby. You didn't deserve that, and I'm only hoping to be able to prevent you from ever feeling that pain ever again. All I want for you is to be happy, to make you happy if you'd let me do that for you. No more broken pieces scattered around, waiting to be put back together. No more crying over assholes that didn't know what they were missing out on. The only thing I want to see you do from now on, his smile. You are loved, Y/N, and you are enough," it was like something out of a book, a fairy tale. You thought it was unreal until Steve pulled you in, and his lips touched yours. Slow and gentle, yet a pretty short kiss was placed upon your lips.

Sure, heartbreak brought pain, and a million broken pieces, just waiting to be put back together. Steve was always the one to do that because as a friend, he couldn't let you suffer. But both of you had enough, it was time for you to feel what was to be loved, and it was time for him to show you just how much.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr [romaxnogersav](https://romaxnogersav.tumblr.com/)


End file.
